One more lie and I'm done
by KuugaS
Summary: Kiriya Kujo, desperate to achieve his goal soon as possible, looks for a mysterious warrior in golden armour. Shotaro Hidari, famous detective and masked rider is going to help him.


His sanity becomes a victim of time again, the tired body leaning towards the old enemy ~ gravity and sleep deprivation. Swollen lids twitched above dark circles, focusing on bright screen on the table. He'd seen it with his own eyes ~ shadowy figure taking over an old guy and another guy, much younger, summoning the golden armour to fight it. From perspective of a coroner, it was just another type of virus and another way to fight it. He could gain info on it and build a new possible method from a scratch how to examine and fight Game Virus. It was possible, it must be!

Loosening the fingers from soft of his palm, clench he wasn't aware he was making when he recalled the games he was forced to play while he was in coma, he sighed silently. Whatever happens next, he was first to reach Game Over, before anything he could answer or find a meaning in death in Jungo's death. Conclusion forced itself like a poorly written clue in a crime novel. There were no other cards up his sleeve, to blackmail the villains or delay proper answers to allies. Too pragmatic for a hero, too pathetic for a villain; his life now recognized only as an obstacle to obtain remaining known slots. To get the upper hand in situation that was slowly but surely getting out of control, he followed the trace old man selling Takoyaki gave him. It was merely a rumour, scary legend originated long before the day of the outbreak five years ago. Some kind of virus from other world that acquired full awareness of itself and freedom of actions through human bodies.

A long moment of silence stretched as he walked towards taxi he had just called. It was just a matter of buying time, coming up with just the right answer. But really, what did he know so far, anyway? It seemed his entire life had been spent trying to see what was going on just few steps behind from a problem and well planned illusions someone made, though no matter how proficient he got at deciphering the mysteries, he couldn't be certain of anything he found. Not before it was too late. Where his goal in life had always been to see past the smoke and mirrors, it seemed that Black Mighty was to keep them well in place. Conflicting ideals that made it impossible for Kiriya to ever hold much faith in the reality that he believed he had chosen for himself. But perhaps he hadn't. Perhaps even that was a lie. Since villain behind the curtains and deadly virus had led him along a certain path since the beginning, he'd made his choices based on the reality they'd given him, believing only the things they showed to him- be those things intentional or not. Jungo probably hadn't intended to bind him to this problem, but if he hadn't forced him to become something he never would have decided for himself - liar and a cynic; it was likely he would be living happy life, spending it between long talks with Jungo, work he once loved and probably, a family he'd form soon enough. That's what he had planned, anyway. Growing up without a family, moving right when he found new friends and changing last name right when he got used to Kanji... He planned everything differently in the future. But it failed.

"Reality is a fickle thing- I don't have much faith in it anymore." he murmured bellow voice for himself, as taxi pulled over. He'd simply chosen which fork to take on a path that was decided for him time and time again. Perhaps that was why he was so intent for this one to be the end of the planned layouts as if he was just a piece in the game; following new lead had been the one choice he'd made for himself. Hasn't it always been that way, though? Merely a practical epiphany at the end of a series of.. one unfortunate event after the next. As children, they had been taught to expect as much since lifestyle forced on them hardly merited much ground for any bright future, unless they were extremely lucky and hardworking. The foundations had not changed for anyone, really - probably never would. To have faith in reality would be nothing short of a naivet befitting a fool, yet he couldn't help himself. It was what made them human.

Just like he thought, lead was a dead end. Fuuto was a wrong city to look for mysterious knight in golden armour who could enlighten him about the virus he fought. Next stop was a Makai priest, Rekka. Arrogant kind, those Makai priests, he had to admit. All he got from her was angry outburst on how those creatures aren't viruses, but Horrors and only Makai knight (at least he knew how to call them now) who worked in this city from time to time was Zero. With a few persistent questions and all charm he was able to gather in one, long, deep stare at her eyes, he found out his name as well. Rei Suzumura. Makai knights weren't exactly listed in phone books, if they made those anymore, so he decided to call his old acquaintance - annoying detective who never remembered his name correctly. Over the phone, he explained him who he was looking for and agreed to meet him later that night cause cocky private dick said he'll find the guy in matter of hours. With doubt in his tone, Kiriya agreed. Four hours and 17 minutes later, he received a message.

'Meet me at bar Route 66 next to guitar shop in centre. I've found your guy. S.H.'

Confused, he couldn't understand how did he do that? He looked hardly reliable enough to find a lost cat. Luckily, he was already at the Route 66, enjoying his first beer in weeks and hits from the 80's.


End file.
